Another cooking adventure!

Earlier this week, I found some recipes that I was dying to try...and so, Sunday seemed like the perfect day since I would have company for lunch. :-) (Sunday is Jon's productive day at my place: laundry time. It's also the day he is guaranteed a home-cooked meal...though, it's not always something he's had before. You might could call this "guinea pig day". He's a good sport about it.

The theme of the day: apples, or something "apple" related.

I have been itching for some pork so I got some pork chops earlier this week with the intention of cooking them on Sunday for my wonderful fiancé. Yesterday, I made another run to the grocery store for some apples and applesauce once I realized I could have a theme! Haha...

So, here's what I made:

• Marinaded pork chops
• Stewed apples
• Applesauce bread

The applesauce bread was the biggest hit for sure. The pork chops were pretty good and the stewed apples were quite rich, but still delicious. So, seeing that the bread was the biggest hit, I'll share that recipe with you:


Here is what the recipe calls for:

• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

How to cook it:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the egg and applesauce; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cloves; gradually add to the creamed mixture just until combined. Fold in raisins and nuts. Pour into a greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Here are the changes I made: no raisins and no chopped walnuts. Being this was the first time I made it, I made it otherwise according to the recipe. Other people have reviewed it to say that you can decrease the sugar and butter amounts and it still comes out well. I may have to alter it a little next time. It is definitely very sweet...but very delicious. Also, I cooked it for 50 minutes and it was perfectly fine there (of course my altitude is 3,300 feet so cooking times are different here).

Hope you find this as delicious as Jon and I did!